Tornadogenesis on tape

CLEVELAND -- After waiting and chasing, the crew of VORTEX2 intercepts their first tornado.

Severe weather was expected today in the western Plains, and the 80 scientists and crew members of the VORTEX2 project were in place early.

VORTEX2, an acronym for Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment, is a massive international joint project of 18 different organizations including The Center for Severe Weather Research, National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Environment Canada, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Finnish Meteorological Institute and a host of colleges and universities.

The program is being funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The purpose of the project is to investigate how tornadoes form by studying storms and what could be the trigger that gets the air spinning. This year's research will build upon past VORTEX missions that documented the near-ground weather conditions close to tornadoes.

Previous findings are believed to have improved tornado warning lead time and skill. This year's chase began in early May and will wrap up June 13th. The focus for storm investigation will primarily target "Tornado Alley", an area in the middle of the country that is not only known for massive storms and potential twisters, but also has key features that the road warrior scientists look for: flat terrain, good roads, and a nearly unobstructed view of the vast landscape.

With a variety land based and mobile radars along with a bevy of sensors, cameras, equipment and even weather balloons, the VORTEX2 team hopes to catch the moment of tornadogenesis (birth of a tornado) in order to better understand what makes a storm spin up a twister. Today's weather conditions weren't expected to be conducive for a major severe weather outbreak, but there were just enough of the right atmospheric conditions to have forecasters tuned in to the possibility of big storms and tornadoes.

The VORTEX2 team was already in place, having anticipated the potential for big weather the day before. Through the early afternoon crews watched as thunderheads began to soar and eventually reports of severe weather starting coming in. Just before 3pm the team got what they had been waiting for as a severe storm in southern Wyoming showed signs of producing a tornado.

They scrambled to place equipment and sensors in the path of the storm before the tornado formed. Just as if scripted for live television, cameras caught the birth of a tornado. Scientists in and around the VORTEX2 project have not been the only ones anticipating this event.

TV crews from The Weather Channel have been along for the ride as well and were broadcasting live to an international audience as the twister came to life. While today's achievement may eventually help to answer a number of questions that scientists have been asking, the new found data may give rise to new problems that meteorologists and atmospheric researchers will try to solve in the days to come.

They hope to have another batch of data next year, when the project takes to the road in 2010. Look for links to the VORTEX2 project's on-line resources under the "Related Links" section on this webpage. You can also follow VORTEX2 on-line via Twitter and Facebook.